THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Cordillera assured public their calamity preparedness in removing road obstructions and constructing evacuation centers, roads, and bridges.
In case of a calamity, DPWH–Cordillera director Nerie Bueno assured the equipment needed for clearing operations are already positioned in vulnerable areas identified by the concerned district engineering office.
“Kapag narinig na naming sa radio na may bagyo, activated na yung Disaster Risk Reduction Management Team sa regional office. Lahat ng district office ina-activate po yan,” she said.
Contractors whose projects are along the road are also called to help in the operations, she added.
Chief of maintenance division Nelia Antonio said the number one problem in Baguio City is landslides, adding vulnerable areas not only include slide prone areas but also includes fallen tree areas, mostly occurring in Kennon Road and Gibraltar.
Funds for maintenance of infrastructure this year has reached P549,215 million, a 10 percent increase from last year, said Antonio.
The DPWH-Cordillera also addressed the lack of evacuation centers in the region. Bueno was concerned about the use of classrooms as evacuation centers, which in turn affect the students’ education.
Bueno said three of the six evacuation centers in the region are up for advertisement, two already bidded out, and one is due for bidding.
The DPWH official added climate resilient infrastructures are also being undertaken in the region citing the thickness of concrete paved roads is dependent on the assigned earthquake magnitude capacity. As earthquakes increase in magnitude per year, the thickness of the concrete must also increase.
Bueno said Kennon Road is also eyed for improvement as hanging rocks along the cliffs will be removed while a rock netting slope protection will be placed among the landslide prone areas to avoid further damages.
She appealed to the public to give more understating and patience while all these infrastructures are being built. (Arianne Jo Julaton/UP Baguio intern)